Project Description

There are traditions that are crafted by hand, but they live on, above all, in the people. In the Terra de Miranda, the “Ramos de Oferenda” are so much more than just pretty bread, ring-shaped buns, sweets, and fruit. They’re all about sharing our beliefs, feeling connected to each other, and passing down what we know and the memories we’ve made.

It was drawing on this cultural richness that Exxa Design Studio developed a unique project: the rebranding of the Terra de Miranda Museum’s logo and the design and production of the exhibition ‘Ramos de Oferenda da Terra de Miranda‘, presented to mark the museum’s reopening.

The exhibition is divided into four sections — Origin, Construction, Sharing, and Continuity — and follows a narrative journey that reveals the material dimension of the Ramos, as well as the rituals, chants, and communities that give them meaning. The graphic identity combines a contemporary visual language with references to local heritage, bringing together typography, color, photography, and narrative elements in an experience that showcases the artifacts whilst respecting the architecture of the space.

Exhibition

The exhibition presents content in four languages — Mirandese, Portuguese, Spanish and English — with particular emphasis on Mirandese, which is recognised as the main language and a fundamental element of the region’s cultural identity.

At the heart of the project are four Ramos families from Ifanes, Sendim, Águas Vivas and São Pedro da Silva. Their presentation presented us with a challenge that we successfully overcame: to preserve and prepare the authentic foodstuffs that make up these families.

It took months of research, experimentation and testing of different conservation techniques, followed by approximately one month devoted to the final preparation of the breads, rolls, sweets and fruit. A four-stage process, as demanding as it was unusual, which made it possible to present the Ramos with their authentic elements, reconciling respect for tradition with the requirements of a museum exhibition.

Audiovisuals

The project also included the production and editing of audiovisual content, with photography and video shot by our team, supplemented by footage provided by the museum. These images document the processes, celebrations, and people, adding context and depth to the exhibition experience.

Publication

At the same time, we developed the graphic and editorial design for the book “Ramos de Oferenda na Terra de Miranda“, written by Mário Correia. This ethnographic research publication expands on the scope of the exhibition and contributes to the understanding and documentation of this tradition.

This was a project in which graphic design, museography, editorial production, audiovisual elements, and technical experimentation came together in an unusual way. It was a multidisciplinary effort that required attention to detail and, above all, respect for a heritage that continues to be part of the lives of the Mirandese communities.

We would like to thank the entire Exxa Design Studio team involved in this project for their dedication, creativity, and ability to find solutions to such diverse challenges. And a special thank you to the team at the Museu da Terra de Miranda, led by Dr. Celina Bárbaro Pinto, for their collaboration, trust, and commitment throughout the entire process, as well as to everyone who participated in the construction of the Ramos, who followed our instructions to the letter to make conservation a reality.

Because preserving a tradition also means finding new ways to share it with others, without losing what makes it unique.